Olympics qualification: Sathish, Sanjita to lead Indian lifters

Sathish (Men’s 77kg) and Sanjita (Women’s 48kg) had won gold medals at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014. Sukhen Dey (Men’s 56kg), who also bagged gold at Glasgow, failed to make it to the team.

Sanjita Chanu won a gold medal at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014.

Commonwealth Games champions Sathish Kumar Sivalingam and K. Sanjita Chanu will spearhead a 16-member Indian team at the Senior Asian Weightlifting Championship, which will serve as the qualification event for the Olympics, at Tashkent, Uzbekistan from April 21 to 30.

Sathish (Men’s 77kg) and Sanjita (Women’s 48kg) had won gold medals at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014. Sukhen Dey (Men’s 56kg), who also bagged gold at Glasgow, failed to make it to the team.

Men’s team comprises nine lifters, including Commonwealth Games silver medallist Vikas Thakur (85kg).

Women’s team, consisting seven members, will have Glasgow silver and bronze medallists — Mirabai Chanu (48kg) and Punam Yadav (63kg), respectively — besides Sanjita Chanu, in action.

A 10-member support staff will accompany the 16 lifters during the tournament.

INDIAN TEAM:-

Men: Dipak Ramesh Mahajan (56kg), Gopal Anbarasu (62kg), Sambo Lapung (69kg), Sathish Kumar Sivalingam (77kg), Vikas Thakur (85kg), Ragala Venkat Rahul (94kg), Pardeep Singh (105kg), Gurdeep Singh (+105kg), Jaspreet Singh (+105kg).

Women: K. Sanjita Chanu (48kg), Saikhom Mirabai Chanu (48kg), Sagolsem Thasana Chanu (58kg), Punam Yadav (63kg), Rakhi Halder (69kg), Kavita Devi (75kg), Sushila Panwar (+75kg).

Coaches: National coach: Vijay Sharma, Chief coach (women): N. Kunjarani Devi.